What would be appropriate uses for these interface boxes for audio and midi
with USB/Firewire outs? If soundcards and other gear have their own inputs,
how would you incorporate one of these into a DAW? Why use one of these for
audio-in instead of a dedicated mic preamp?

Along those same lines, I assume if you're using Firewire or USB for midi
input, it would be to run a softsynth of some sort for midi, instead of a
soundcard?

Isn't Firewire extreme overkill for midi?

Thanks for all input

"Doc" wrote ...
What would be appropriate uses for these interface boxes
for audio and midi with USB/Firewire outs? If soundcards
and other gear have their own inputs,

The USB/Firewire devices are better than soundcards.

how would you incorporate one of these into a DAW?

Plug it in and select it as the input device (likely in the
recording software somewhere.)

Why use one of these for audio-in instead of a dedicated
mic preamp?

Because they are better than even a dedicated mic preamp
which you still have to run through the lousy analog line
input.

Doc wrote:
What would be appropriate uses for these interface boxes for audio and midi
with USB/Firewire outs? If soundcards and other gear have their own inputs,
how would you incorporate one of these into a DAW? Why use one of these for
audio-in instead of a dedicated mic preamp?

USB and Firewire audio interfaces are used in lieu of a PCI card-based
system. The main use for a USB or Firewire audio device is to convert
analog signals to digital in order to record them in the software of
your choice. On the playback end, they convert the digital signals
back into analog. Such devices are almost always higher quality than
the consumer sound card in your computer. There are also professional
sound cards that you install into a PCI slot in your computer. These
oftentimes have a breakout box where you can connect cables. An
obvious disadvantage to the PCI card systems is their inability to work
with laptop computers.

A mic preamp is necessary to boost the level of a microphone's signal
in order to make a recording. However, the signal still needs to be
converted into a digital format and sent into the computer, hence the
need for an audio interface. Some USB/Firewire devices have mic
preamps, while others do not.

Along those same lines, I assume if you're using Firewire or USB for midi
input, it would be to run a softsynth of some sort for midi, instead of a
soundcard?

Yes, you could use a MIDI interface in order to connect a MIDI keyboard
to a computer and play a softsynth. The contrast of softsynth versus
soundcard doesn't make much sense, though. It might help to think that
a Firewire or USB audio interface is basically the same thing as the
kind of soundcard you're familiar with. The only difference is that
they live outside of the computer case. Some of these devices have
MIDI capabilities, while some do not. Standalone USB MIDI interfaces
exist as well.

Isn't Firewire extreme overkill for midi?

Yes. I have never seen a dedicated Firewire MIDI interface. All MIDI
interfaces that I have used are USB only.

Thanks for all input

You're welcome.

Travis Garrison

"Doc" wrote in message
link.net...
What would be appropriate uses for these interface boxes for audio and
midi
with USB/Firewire outs? If soundcards and other gear have their own
inputs,
how would you incorporate one of these into a DAW? Why use one of these
for
audio-in instead of a dedicated mic preamp?

Along those same lines, I assume if you're using Firewire or USB for midi
input, it would be to run a softsynth of some sort for midi, instead of a
soundcard?

Isn't Firewire extreme overkill for midi?

Thanks for all input


Ever tried to use a PCI card with a laptop?

Mikey
Nova Music Productions

"Travis Garrison" wrote in message
oups.com...
Doc wrote:
What would be appropriate uses for these interface boxes for audio and
midi
with USB/Firewire outs? If soundcards and other gear have their own
inputs,
how would you incorporate one of these into a DAW? Why use one of these
for
audio-in instead of a dedicated mic preamp?

USB and Firewire audio interfaces are used in lieu of a PCI card-based
system. The main use for a USB or Firewire audio device is to convert
analog signals to digital in order to record them in the software of
your choice. On the playback end, they convert the digital signals
back into analog. Such devices are almost always higher quality than
the consumer sound card in your computer. There are also professional
sound cards that you install into a PCI slot in your computer.

I was thinking along the lines of comparison to pro level soundcards.

Btw, some examples of interface devices from the particular catalogue I'm
looking at are Focusrite Saffire, M-Audio Fast Track Pro, Firewire 1814,
Edirol FA-66, Tascam US-122

A mic preamp is necessary to boost the level of a microphone's signal
in order to make a recording. However, the signal still needs to be
converted into a digital format and sent into the computer, hence the
need for an audio interface. Some USB/Firewire devices have mic
preamps, while others do not.

Along those same lines, I assume if you're using Firewire or USB for
midi
input, it would be to run a softsynth of some sort for midi, instead of
a
soundcard?

Yes, you could use a MIDI interface in order to connect a MIDI keyboard
to a computer and play a softsynth. The contrast of softsynth versus
soundcard doesn't make much sense, though. It might help to think that
a Firewire or USB audio interface is basically the same thing as the
kind of soundcard you're familiar with. The only difference is that
they live outside of the computer case. Some of these devices have
MIDI capabilities, while some do not. Standalone USB MIDI interfaces
exist as well.

I'm not clear on something. Something has to generate the sound. I don't get
the impression that these interface devices, such as I've menitoned above
have self-contained midi sounds, do they also act as the *outputs* to go to
your amp/speakers for both midi generated sounds and audio?

Isn't Firewire extreme overkill for midi?

Yes. I have never seen a dedicated Firewire MIDI interface. All MIDI
interfaces that I have used are USB only.

Going by the catalogue description, this M-Audio Firewire Audiophile, as an
example, seems to use the 1394 for both audio & midi.

Doc wrote:

I was thinking along the lines of comparison to pro level soundcards.

Btw, some examples of interface devices from the particular catalogue I'm
looking at are Focusrite Saffire, M-Audio Fast Track Pro, Firewire 1814,
Edirol FA-66, Tascam US-122

Those are pretty fair, better than the auido hardware that comes
standard with any over-the-counter computer, but not as good as, say, a
Lynx Two or L22. Also not as expensive, and that's why they exist. It's
a way to get musically usable audio performance without having to open
up the computer, and to be able to easily share the same audio hardware
among computers. For example, you could take one, along with a laptop
computer, out to record a live show, then plug the interface into your
studio computer to do editing, production, and "mastering."

I'm not clear on something. Something has to generate the sound. I don't get
the impression that these interface devices, such as I've menitoned above
have self-contained midi sounds, do they also act as the *outputs* to go to
your amp/speakers for both midi generated sounds and audio?

No, they don't generate sound. You can use the MIDI OUT to drive a
synthesizer. When you play a MIDI file on your computer, the data will
go out through the interface, into the synthesizer, and the synthesizer
would produce the audio. If you wanted to record that audio coming out
of the synth, you'd have to connect its AUDIO outputs to the audio
inputs of your interface, and record them while the MIDI data is
playing the synth.

Today, synths are often "soft synths" that reside on the computer
itself. The computer in essence replaces the external hardware synth,
taking MIDI data coming from either a sequencer program or from the
MIDI IN of the interface connected to a real musick keyboard for live
playing, and generating sounds which come out the AUDIO outputs of the
interface. Therefore, given MIDI data, either played back from a
sequencer program or played live on a MIDI keyboard, you hear the
sounds stored in the computer, coming from the audio outputs of the
Firewire/USB interface.

Doc wrote:
Isn't Firewire extreme overkill for midi?

Yes. I have never seen a dedicated Firewire MIDI interface. All MIDI
interfaces that I have used are USB only.

Going by the catalogue description, this M-Audio Firewire Audiophile, as an
example, seems to use the 1394 for both audio & midi.

Which is why I qualified my statement by saying "a dedicated Firewire
MIDI interface." If the device can only send MIDI data, USB is all
that you need. The only Firewire devices with MIDI capabilities that I
am aware of also use the Firewire bus to send digital audio.

Travis Garrison